The Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are located on the Western border of Alberta. These mountains were caused by uplifting of the Earth's crust. The Rockies in Alberta are home to some of the province's greatest tourist attractions such as Waterton Lakes National Park, Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper National Park.

The Oil Sands

The Alberta oilsands are a relatively new concept to Alberta's landscape. Oilsands are simply dirt that is saturated with oil. This oil is in high demand and can be used and shipped all around the world. The Alberta's oilsands are known as "Canada's greatest buried energy treasure!" Its oil reserves are the second largest in the world next to Saudi Arabia! The oilsands are located in Northeast Alberta and the biggest is the Athabasca deposit, followed by the Peace River and Cold Lake deposits. The oilsands are also a big source of controversy because many people feel it is a great pollutant and also lots of the mines are located on Aboriginal and sacred land. The oilsand industry is booming however and provide lots of people with jobs.

A fun and interesting activity about Alberta's oilsands can be found and printed off here

Alberta's Landforms Activity

Each of these landforms are located within the province of Alberta. For an activity, have students labels and colour on a map of Alberta where these landforms can be found. Include major cities or parks that are located nearby as well. Students can also look at one particular landform indepthly and research information or make a collage of pictures showing the landform. Below is a map to help students get started on their map.